Frank took a turn twice the length of the room, and then stopped before
Barney and the others, who were watching him in silence.
"Fellows," he said, his voice firm and steady, "Inza Burrage is a girl
whom I admire very much. When I attended school at Fardale we were
sweethearts. I fancy the most of you know what it is to have a
sweetheart at school. Circumstances may separate such sweethearts in
after years, but nothing ever makes them forget each other. They are
sure to think of each other with tenderness and respect. A thousand
times have I thought and dreamed of Inza. I have felt that I was ready
to make any sacrifice for her--ready to do anything in my power for her.
I have said that, if the time ever came when she needed a true friend,
she could depend on me. That time has come. She is in need of a friend,
and I must find her and aid her. It may be possible that I shall need
the assistance of my friends. Who may I count on?"
In a moment every boy in that room was on his feet and declaring his
eagerness to stand by Frank through anything and everything.
Frank did not smile; he was very grave and stern, although something
like a look of satisfaction passed across his face.
"I thought so," he nodded. "In fact, I knew it. The first thing is to
find out where Miss Burrage is."
"She may not be in San Francisco at all now," said Browning, who showed
unusual interest for him.
"That is quite true."
"Oi think she is," said Barney.
"What makes you think so?"
"Lord Stanford had a haythen Chinee for a servant."
"What of that?"
"It wur thot same haythen me an Hans folleyed to th' thayater in
Chinatown this avenin'. Thot is how we happened to be there."
"Yah," nodded the Dutch boy; "dot vos der trute."
"That is interesting," admitted Frank. "I hope it may prove that you are
right. Were you watching the Chinaman when you were attacked?"
"Hans was. Oi had sane th' rat-'ater spake to another wan, an' Oi felt
sure he said somethin' about us. Oi watched the other, an' it wur a good
thing fer me that Oi did."
"The other was the one who tried to get a knife into your back?"
"Yis. Th' dirruty rascal didn't know Oi had me oie on him all th'
toime."
"In the excitement that followed, you lost sight of the one you followed
there."
"Vale," said Hans, "I don'd peen aple to keep vatch uf him afder
efrypody shumps ub all aroundt."
"That was most unfortunate. If you could have followed him without his
knowing it, he might have led you straight to his master."
"Thot's phwat Oi thought, me b'y."
Frank thought the matter over for a few moments, and then said:
"It seems to me that there is a probability of this Lord Stanford being
in San Francisco, although Inza's father may have taken her away. If his
servant had left him, it is not likely an attempt would have been made
on Barney's life. The Chinaman's master must have told him to look out
that he was not followed by Barney, and the heathen was going to stop it
somehow."
"It seems rather remarkable to me," said Jack, "that they should care
whether Barney followed them or not, for it is likely they now have the
girl under such close watch that there is absolutely no chance for her
to run away again."
"She may have been forced into a marriage already," Browning said.
"You do not know her," declared Frank. "She is a girl of such spirit
that her father will find it extremely difficult to compel her to marry
against her will."
"Yah," nodded the Dutch boy, "you pet me my poots on dot!"
"Begorra! she has th' clane grit in her," agreed Barney.
"That is certain," admitted Bruce, "else she would not have dared run
away as she did. Not one girl in a thousand would have the nerve to do a
thing like that."
"I am greatly interested to see this remarkable young lady," said
Diamond. "I like girls of spirit."
Frank paid no heed to what the others were saying. He was walking the
floor, the expression of his face showing that he was in a brown study.
"Shust look ad him," whispered Hans. "Uf he geds dot Lort Sdanfort holdt
uf--vale, dot feller don't know vere he vas at purty queek alretty."
After a time, Frank paused to say:
"This is a case on which no time is to be lost, as Inza may be forced
into a marriage if she is not soon given aid in some manner.
Unfortunately, it seems to me that there is no clew to begin work on
immediately. We are at sea."
"Av you don't foind a way out av it roight off it will be th' firrust
toime ye ivver wur balked," said Barney, admiringly.
"There is always a first time, but we will hope this is not one. I am
going to give the matter some thought. Talk it over, fellows, and see if
you can't devise some plan."
As Frank was passing into an adjoining room, Hodge approached him,
saying in a low tone:
"You must not forget that I am in constant danger every day I remain in
California, Merriwell. I must get out as soon as possible."
At first a shadow of annoyance seemed to rest on Frank's face, but it
quickly passed, and he said:
"You are right, Bart. A steamer leaves for Honolulu day after to-morrow.
To-morrow I will secure passage on her for you."
Then he passed on into the room.
Two hours later Rattleton found Frank alone.
"Well, Merry," said Harry, "what is to be done? Have you decided yet?"
Frank shook his head.
"It is a most perplexing and puzzling situation," he confessed. "If I
knew where to find Inza it would not be long before I would have a plan.
But to find her--that's the rub."
"What would you do then?" asked Harry. "You could not take her away from
her father."
"That is true. But her father is an invalid, and I believe this Lord
Stanford has used undue influence in persuading him to force Inza into
this marriage. In London I was able to save Mr. Burrage and Inza from
being blown to pieces by an anarchist's bomb. It is not likely that he
has forgotten this. It may be that I would have some influence with him
myself."
"It is possible," admitted Harry; "but even your influence might fail."
"In that case," declared Frank, "I should try to resort to more
desperate means."
"It is dangerous, Merry--very dangerous. Since reaching California we
have escaped from one danger by the tin of our skeeth--I mean by the
skin of our teeth. Even now there is a possibility that Hodge may be
arrested."
Frank scowled a little, but nodded slowly.
"I know it," he acknowledged, "but in two days Hodge will be on the sea
bound for Honolulu. He is to take passage on a steamer that leaves day
after to-morrow. It is this girl I am thinking about, now, Rattle."
"Girls have caused you any amount of trouble, Merry."
"I know that, and I am willing that this girl should cause me any amount
more."
"Then it must be that you are still in love with her. This is the girl
you care about more than any other."
"I don't know," said Frank, slowly. "It may be. I have not seen her in a
long time, and I have seen many other girls, for some of whom I have had
more than a passing fancy."
"It is certain that some of them have had more than a passing fancy for
you, Frank," laughed Harry.
Merriwell did not smile.
"Harry," he said, gravely, "my thoughts are now of Inza alone. All other
girls are forgotten. She always had the utmost confidence in me. She
trusted me, and she believed I could do anything. If she knew I were in
San Francisco she would find a way to appeal to me for aid. I can fancy
her alone with her invalid father, whose one ambition is to make a good
match for his child before he dies. I can fancy her appealing to him,
begging him not to force her into this odious marriage. She is not the
girl to cringe or cry. She is impulsive, hot-blooded, passionate, and,
as a last resort, to escape this English lord, she might do something
desperate. Nay, she might commit suicide."
Harry was inclined to laugh at this, but he saw that Merriwell was very
grave and earnest, and he refrained. He shook his head, however, saying:
"You cannot be in earnest, old fellow. Girls do not commit suicide
nowadays."
"I assure you there is no telling what a girl like Inza Burrage might
do. That is what worries me. I feel that it is my duty to aid her, but
how--how can I reach her?"
"Pive it gup--I mean give it up, old man. Let us sleep over it
to-night."
"Sleep--sleep after hearing this? Impossible!"
"But you can do nothing until daylight comes."
"That is true, and I am wondering what I shall be able to do then. That
is why I cannot sleep."
In vain Rattleton urged Frank to lie down and rest. At last he gave it
up and went into the other room to tell the boys how hard hit Frank was
by the news concerning his old sweetheart.
"I don't doubt me," nodded Hans. "Thot am shust like Vrankie. He vos
alvays thinking a great deal more of somepody else apout, than he vas
himself of."
"Begorra," put in Barney, "it is no more than nacheral he should think a
great dale av thot girrul. They wur the bist av swatehearts at Fardale.
Although they sometimes jist quarreled a bit it's true love thot nivver
did run smooth at all, at all, and there's no telling what may happen
betwane thim. For sure there is very little smoothness in their love
affairs."
"Ah, Merriwell is always falling in love," said Diamond. "I do not
believe it goes very deep with him."
"An' if it is yersilf thot thinks so!" cried Barney, contemptuously,
"it's little ye know about him, thin!"
Jack flushed, and seemed on the point of resenting this plain speech,
but bit his lip and remained silent, although he gave Barney a black
look.
The Irish lad did not mind looks, however, and as for words, he had a
proverbial Irish tongue that could send back a witty and cutting reply
for any sort of speech.
After meeting Hans in San Francisco, Barney had been stopping with Hans
at a boarding house to which they now decided to return for the night.
Before leaving, however, they had a few words with Frank, who made them
promise to come around early in the morning.
"I may have thought of some plan of action by that time," he said.
"Think the matter over yourselves, boys, perhaps you may be able to aid
me. You know Inza, and--well, you know me. You must know I would give
anything I possess to locate her now."
"You pet mine poots we know dot," nodded Hans.
"Begorra, you're th' roight stuff, Frankie, an' Oi'm riddy to foight wid
yer bist frind if he maloigns ye," said Barney, thinking of Diamond.
Frank pressed their hands and bade them good-night. Then they departed.